Switching between location contexts

• US 8,370,062 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Starenky, Victor, Kennberg, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US12/702,303
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 701/200, 701/201, 701/423, 701/467, 701/532, 701/533, 707/706, 707/722, 707/999.006, 707/999.003, 707/E17.014, 707/E17.018, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/422.1, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/456.2, 705/1.1, 705/5, 705/14.58, 705/37, 705/319, 715/760, 715/757, 607/5, 1/1, 709/217, 340/3.3, 340/4.21, 340/995.14, 340/995.18, 704/235, 463/13, 463/16
• US Class Current: 701/467
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for switching between location contexts on a mobile computing device. An estimated geographic location of the mobile computing device is determined by a mobile computing device. A user-identified location is received from an application program invoked on the mobile computing device. The estimated geographic location and the user-identified location are concurrently stored in computer-readable memory. One of the concurrently-stored locations is identified as a current location. A plurality of interface elements that each identify a venue that is geographically near the current location are presented on a display of the mobile computing device. User input that changes the current location from one to the other of the concurrently-stored locations is received at the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for switching between location contexts on a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

determining, by a processor of a mobile computing device, an estimated geographic location of the mobile computing device;

receiving, via an application program invoked on the mobile computing device, user input indicative of a user-identified location;

concurrently storing, in non-transitory computer-readable memory, (i) the estimated geographic location, and (ii) the user-identified location;

identifying one of the concurrently-stored locations as a current location;

presenting, on a display of the mobile computing device, (i) a plurality of interface elements that each identify a venue that is geographically near the current location, and (ii) a user selectable option to change the current location to the other of the concurrently-stored locations;

receiving, via the mobile computing device, user input that changes the current location from one to the other of the concurrently-stored locations, the user input indicative of user selection of the user selectable option to change the current location to the other of the concurrently-stored locations; and

in response to receiving the user input that changes the current location from one to the other of the concurrently-stored locations, presenting, on the display of the mobile computing device, a plurality of interface elements that each identify a venue that is geographically near the other of the concurrently-stored locations.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the estimated geographic location of the mobile computing device includes determining the estimated geographic location based on receiving signals from one or more wireless beacons, wherein the one or more wireless beacons are satellites in a global satellite-based location identification system.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the estimated geographic location of the mobile computing device includes determining the estimated geographic location based on receiving signals from one or more wireless beacons, wherein the one or more wireless beacons are base station transmitting antennas in a ground-based wireless communication network.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving user input indicative of the user-identified location includes receiving user-selection of a geographic location on a map presented on a display of the mobile computing device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving user input indicative of the user-identified location includes receiving user-selection of a search result that is presented on a display of the mobile computing device in response to a user-provided search engine query.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving user input indicative of the user-identified location includes receiving latitude and longitude coordinates from the application program.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, from the mobile computing device to a server system, the current location;

receiving, at the mobile computing device and from the server system, a plurality of venues that are geographically located near the current location, wherein the plurality of venues correspond to the plurality of presented interface elements.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, on the display, (i) a graphical interface element that identifies the current location, and (ii) a graphical interface element that, when selected by a user, invokes the current location to change to the other of the concurrently-stored locations.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the current location can be changed with single-user input action.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the interface element that invokes the current location to change includes an identification of the other location.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein a graphical interface element that identifies the estimated geographic location, as either the graphical interface element that identifies the current location or the graphical interface element that identifies the other location, updates to identify a newly estimated geographic location as subsequent determinations of the estimated geographic location are performed.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein, in addition to the graphical interface element that identifies the current location, the display does not include more than a single one graphical interface element that identifies a location, where the single one graphical interface element corresponds to the other of the concurrently-stored locations.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the single one graphical interface element (i) includes an identification of the other location and (ii) is the interface element that changes the current location.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selection of an interface element that identifies a venue invokes a display of information about the venue.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selection of an interface element that identifies a venue assigns the venue as the user-identified location.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user-input that invokes the application program;

receiving user-input that identifies, in the invoked application program, a new user-identified location; and

receiving, from the application program, the new user-identified location, wherein the user-identified location is replaced with the new user-identified location as one of the concurrently stored locations.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising presenting on the display a single interface element, wherein repeated user-selection of the single interface element alternates which of the concurrently stored locations is the current location.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, on the display, a list of vertically stacked interface elements,

wherein the list of vertically stacked interface elements includes;

(i) an interface element displaying the current geographic location,

(ii) the plurality of interface elements that each identify a venue,

(iii) an interface element for invoking an application program to select the user-identified location, and

(iv) an interface element displaying the user-identified location,

wherein the display does not include interface elements that identify venues and that are placed to either side of the vertically stacked interface elements.

19. A system for switching between location contexts on a mobile computing device, the system comprising:

location identification unit to determine an estimated geographic location of the mobile computing device, the location identification unit estimating the location based on wireless signals received from electronic beacons;

an application program to receive user-input identifying a location;

a current location identification unit to (i) concurrently store, in non-transitory computer-readable memory, the estimated geographic location and the user-identified location, and (ii) identify one of the estimated geographic location and user-identified location as a current location;

a server system to receive from the mobile computing device the current location and to provide to the mobile computing device a list of venues that the server system identifies as being relevant to the current location;

a display device to display (i) an indication of the current location, (ii) indications of the venues that are relevant to the current location, and (iii) an interface element for changing the current location to the other of the estimated geographic location and user-identified location such that venues identified as being relevant to the estimated geographic location are displayed when the estimated geographic location is identified as the current location and venues identified as being relevant to the user-identified location are displayed when the user-identified location is identified as the current location.

20. A system for switching between location contexts on a mobile computing device, the system comprising:

location identification unit to determine an estimated geographic location of the mobile computing device;

an application program to receive user-input identifying a location;

means to enable a user to toggle a current location of the mobile computing device between the estimated geographic location and the user-identified location; and

a display device to display an indication of the current location and a list of venues that are relevant to the current location such that venues relevant to the estimated geographic location are displayed when the current location is toggled to the estimated geographic location and venues relevant to the user-identified location are displayed when the current location is toggled to the user-identified location.